EAST COAST OF SCOTLAND. 



21 



1886. 

 Oct. 



3 Solan Geese, 

 1 Solan Goose, 

 6 Solan Geese, 



10 a.m. to 1 ( Variable, strong 

 p.m., ( breezes, 



8 a.m. to 10 f S.S.E., light 

 a.m., { breezes, 



10 a.m. to 1 



P.M., 



about the 



Do. do., 



11, 14 Solan Geese, 8 A.M., 



( N.W., light 

 ( breezes, 



13 | Flocks of 2 to 12 

 & 14, \ Solan Geese, 



19, 

 21, 



5 Solan Geese, 

 3 Solan Geese, 



24, 1 Solan Goose, 



25, 2 Solan Geese, 



Throughout the ) , r ■ , , • , 



, . s } Variable winds, 



elates, ) 



4 p.m., E., light breezes, 



All day, S.S.E., gale, 



9 a.m. to 11 ( S.W., strong 



A. m. , ( breezes, 



8 a.m. to 1p.m., Do. do., 



j- Haze and fog, Flying about. 



( Haze and ( Flying about and 



( rain, \ fishing. 



1 Clear, i In a flock flying 



) { past east. 



( Clear and (Flying past east- 



( showers, \ ward. 



Clear, Fishing about. 



Rain, Fishing all day. 



Haze, 

 Do., 



Flying about. 

 Fishing. 



North Unst, Burrafiord, Lerwick, 

 Shetland, 21st February 1887. 



Sir, — I beg to inform you that since answering your note regarding Solan Geese when on shore 

 two Solan Geese were seen here on the 12th inst. ; also one on the 19th flying about. A large flock 

 of Kittiwakes on 12th passed ; direction from S.W. going N.E. This is a rare occurrence, for I 

 know not of any person having seen any of these two species so early in the year. Since writing on 

 27th twenty-four Solan Geese seen very busy fishing for about two hours. We have been thinking 

 herring must be close by us, this causing Solan Geese coming so soon this year. Can't vouch for 

 the truth of this, for we could not make out whether herrings or small fish. — J. N. 



Of records of Solan Geese at other times and localities, as 

 usual, movements commenced towards the close of March (we 

 have one early record of three at Pentland Skerries on 5th, 

 flying east). 



We do not enter into detail, as we would prefer to give a full 

 schedule from each station as indicated above. We add this 

 note here however : Latest seen at Fidra was on 20th, when the 

 note occurs " disappeared." On 14th October, " one young bird ; 

 not another to be seen ; " and on 10th October, " Solans visibly 

 scarcer," at Fidra. 



Of Herons, a few scattered records ; not of much service we 

 suspect to our Migration Committee. 



Anatid^e. — Ducks, Geese, Eider Ducks, Teal, Widgeon, Shiel- 

 drake, Wild Duck, Barnicle Geese, Swans, Brent Geese. — In 

 Spring flocks, or large flocks, of Barnicle Geese are frequently 

 noted at Cromarty, presumably the same flocks daily. (Barnicle 

 is here undoubtedly applied wrongly to the Brent Geese, or 

 " Brants," which are abundant in the Cromarty Firth.) Thus on 

 19th, 25th, and 26th February, and from 4th to 18th March, a 

 " large flock " is almost daily noted ; and thereafter none are 

 again noted till November 24, when a flock again recorded, and 

 two flocks on 25th and -27th December, all at the same place. 



